What Should Have Been
by DarlingWolfEyes
Summary: This is what I think should have happened between Sookie and Alcide. I've tried to stay as true to Dead in the Family as possible. In that vein, there'll be tangy, juicy lemons from Chapter 2 onward. Chapter 1 contains spoilers. Feedback appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

First, a very naff epigraph courtesy of REO Speedwagon:

_And even as I wander_

_I'm keeping you in sight_

_You're a candle in the window_

_On a cold, dark winter's night_

_And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_

_And I can't fight this feeling anymore_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

_It's time to bring this ship into the shore_

_And throw away the oars, forever_

**Chapter One**

The shaman's drink was still flowing through my system. The whole world was awash with colour and although I wasn't feeling nauseous anymore, I was dizzy as hell and I really needed to lie down.

Jason was gripping my arm. 'Come on Sookie, let's get you home.'

But I could barely move without feeling horrible. 'Oh no, I think I might be sick again from the movement of the car.'

Alcide had been listening to our exchange. 'Jason, I've got a spare bedroom upstairs. Take her up there, and I'll drive her home tomorrow morning. Third door on the left at the top of the stairs. Sookie, you're welcome to stay. It's the least I can offer, after what you've done for the pack tonight.'

Alcide was still blazing red. I giggled like a schoolgirl. 'Thanks Alcide!' I swayed. Jason nodded to the packmaster and marched me forward. 'Jase, I really need some water.' He steered me into the kitchen and towards the sink and propped me up against the worktop while he filled a pint glass from the tap. I watched, mesmerized, as the water glinted and bubbled into the glass. Wow.

Then we were moving again. Up the stairs we went. Even in my drug-addled state I was aware of the splendour of my surroundings. This was the house of a very wealthy man. I still couldn't feel my legs and I was kind of gliding. Jason pushed open the door of the guest room. I made a pleasantly bouncy landing on the kingsize bed.

'Sook, I gotta leave you now. Will you be OK, you know, undressing?'

I didn't have much of a choice. 'Sure! Night big brother! Love you!'

'Love you too little sis.' He went out and closed the door behind him.

I pulled my clothes off in a daze. When I was down to my underwear, I decided that the bra was too uncomfortable to sleep in, so it came off. I pulled my t-shirt back on for the sake of decency, in case someone came in for whatever reason. Events were often unpredictable around Weres. I snuggled in under the covers and switched off the lamp on the bedside table. When I closed my eyes, the world pulsated around me. I could hear distant noises from downstairs - shouting, whimpering and snarling - but they didn't stop me from drifting into a turbulent sleep.

I got three hours and then I was awake again. The noises from downstairs had stopped, but I could see the light from the hallway coming in under the door, so I thought that someone must still be up. I turned onto my side and tried to get back to sleep. The effects of the drugs had largely worn off, leaving me just a little bit lightheaded.

After fifteen minutes or so of tossing and turning, I was agitated. I sat up and switched the lamp back on. The clock beside the bed told me that it was shortly after midnight. For the first time I fully took in the décor of the room. The ceilings were high with fancy moldings, the wallpaper was an expensive looking damask, and the throw on the big four poster bed was chenille. All of the furniture seemed to be antique.

I heard a knock on the door and a low rumbly voice. 'Can I come in?'

'Sure.' The door swung gently open and in stepped Alcide with no smile on his face. He padded over to the bed and sat on the edge.

'Thank you Sookie. You've really helped us today.' Without making eye contact, he reached out to set his hand on top of mine. A wave of tangled emotion surged down along his arm and into me. The sadness, and the loss, was overwhelming.

'Alcide,' I shifted forward on the bed and wrapped his big hand gently in both of mine. 'I can't say how sorry I am.' His relationship with Annabelle, the unfaithful partner, was over. He'd recently lost his second and on top of that, another two of his pack members had died tonight. It didn't matter that they'd lost their lives at the hands of the pack for being traitors. Their loss was still strongly felt.

He met my gaze and I could see that he had been crying. There was so much regret in those glistening green eyes. The heat emanated from him. In fact, the whole room seemed warmer with him in it.

'Sookie, we're supposed to be looking after you. You never ask for our help. Why is that?'

'I don't know. I guess I usually just happen to be in the company of someone who can protect me on the occasions when I'm in mortal danger. Like Eric.'

There was another outpouring of emotion. This time, it was something irrationally close to jealously.

'Sookie, I know you probably don't want my opinion...' There was a pause in which he seemed to struggle to form a sentence in the right way. He turned his body to face me. 'I just can't see you with Eric. Don't you want a husband? And babies? Because that's what I always imagined would be in your future, not wandering around in the night with a dead man.'

'I imagined those things too. But you can't help who you fall for. I guess I just didn't take that into account when I chose to be with Eric.' I shrugged.

'He tricks you into being his so-called bride and forces you into drinking his blood! He takes advantage of you!' He growled. 'It makes me so mad. Why the hell do you let him?'

'Look Alcide, butt out. What happens between me and Eric is none of your business. Why do you even give a damn?'

Then, something unexpected happened. A new image flashed through his fingers and into my mind. We were standing together at a kitchen window, flooded with sunlight. Alcide was holding me, and kissing me tenderly, and I was heavily pregnant. With his child. I gasped and withdrew my hands.

He leaned over to me. 'Sookie, please be honest with me. If you answer yes, I promise I will leave you alone and never speak of it again. Do you really love Eric?' His face was inches away from mine.

My voice faltered. 'I love certain things about him. The blood bond makes it hard to tell.' But I couldn't lie. 'No. I guess I'm not in love with Eric,' I said sadly. Although I'd known it for some time, it was still hard to say out loud.

He came slowly forward those crucial few inches and gently pressed his lips to mine. It was as sweet as our first kiss, in his apartment in Jackson. My stomach fluttered and my heart started to race. He broke away.

'It's always bad timing, isn't it?' He looked miserable. I wanted to pull him close and comfort him. I wanted to make him happy.

'I'm going to leave you to get some sleep.'

'Alright, Alcide. You know, I'm here for you if you need me.'

'Thank you Sookie. That means a lot to me.' With a hug, we said goodnight and Alcide left the room.

For the next hour or so, my mind ran through that discussion, over and over, and I cried as the full weight of what I'd sacrificed for Eric hit me like a ton of bricks.


	2. Chapter 2  I've Missed This Scent

_Here's the start of that sex scene we've all been so meanly denied thus far by Mrs. Harris..._

_If you review it, I love you_

In the morning, I heard Alcide clattering around in the kitchen. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted up the stairs. I got out of bed to pull my clothes on. My head was throbbing, thanks to the hangover imparted by the suspect concoction of drugs I'd been fed last night. I went slowly down the stairs. No sudden movements, or my head would explode.

The kitchen was spacious. It had a modern-looking breakfast bar which was at odds with the outdated decor. Alcide had his back to me, working away over the stove.

'Morning,' I said.

He was startled - he mustn't have known I was there. He swung around and, still holding the frying pan, knocked a jug of orange juice all over my blouse. It clattered to the floor and smashed.

'Shit, Sookie! I'm so sorry.' He set the frying pan down and grappled around wildly with paper towels, trying to mop up what he could from my clothes. 'My mind was somewhere else.'

'That's OK, Alcide. I should have announced myself. I snuck up you,' I said.

'You shouldn't have been able to. I'm a werewolf.' He gave up on trying to dry my top. 'Come on, I'll get you some dry clothes and stick yours in the washer.'

'I can wait until I get home.'

'No,' he said, 'I'm not going to let you sit around in wet clothes.' He took my hand and began pulling me back up the stairs.

'Don't you have work to go to?' I asked, before thinking. Pack members were like family, and two of his had died only last night.

'Later. Being the boss I'm at liberty to ditch work for a few hours.'

After rifling around in his own room for a while, he left me alone to change. He gave me a shirt of his to wear - it was red with a checked pattern and smelled like Alcide - while my t-shirt and shorts were in the wash. The sweatpants he provided were huge, his size, so they just didn't stay up no matter what I tried. When he saw me in only the shirt, his eyes gave me an involuntary once-over. I explained it to him.

He cleared his throat. 'Well, at least it covers all the, uh...'

'Essentials.' I said, smiling.

'Yes,' he said awkwardly.

'And I'm not going anywhere for now,' I added.

'I'm going downstairs to watch TV,' he said.

'Sure,' I said, and before he could scurry away, I went to join him.

Daytime TV was boring. Out of courtesy, I imagined, he didn't watch football, although I said I didn't mind.

We reminisced about when we first met a year ago and how much we'd both changed since then. The conversation veered onto the subject of the awful Debbie. Much as I hadn't wanted it to, it had been bound to happen.

He sighed deeply. 'You know Sookie, my new position gives me a whole new outlook. I'm obligated to sort out conflicts, to dish out punishments, as you saw last night. Until I became Packmaster I ignored the facts; I was driven by my own emotions and impulses, blind like a child. I made you my scapegoat and you never deserved any of that shit. But I've learned to lay the blame at the door of the one who deserves it. I know who you are, Sookie, and you're not a murderer. You're sweet, and selfless, and all you've ever done is help me.'

'Oh Alcide,' I said. I took his hand in mine. 'That means a lot to me.'

'Well, It's been a long time coming,' he said. He hugged me. I could feel his heart beating in his solid chest against mine. It was a longer hug than it should have been. He pressed his nose to my neck and inhaled deeply. He held me there for a few moments, just breathing me in.

'I've missed this scent,' he said.

He withdraw from me with effort, but stopped halfway. His face was inches from mine, the static electricity between us drawing us closer like two magnets. He looked into my eyes, and then we kissed. His hand rose to rest on my cheek. My desire gathered pace.

I swung my leg around to his other side. His hands were on my waist and I kissed him deeply as I straddled him. Suddenly, my heart was fluttering like crazy and Alcide knew it. I ground against him. His breath was getting ragged and I could feel him hardening beneath me.

Then his hands were working away at the buttons of my shirt. Well, it was really his shirt. He kissed my neck as he slid it off me. I pulled his t-shirt over his head and ran my hands down his muscular chest and across his broad shoulders. 'Oh my God,' he said. My nipples were visible bumps on the red lace of my bra, and he wanted fervently to get at them. He pulled the straps down my shoulders and I slid my arms out. His strong arms held me up as I leaned back on them. Then he tugged the front of the bra down with one hand, freeing my breasts. 'Oh God,' he said again, caressing them. His mouth closed around one of my nipples, sucking, licking and biting. I threw my head back and moaned and gasped with pleasure. My fingers gripped his hair as he undid the clasp and threw the bra onto the floor.

I held onto his neck as he stood up, carrying me in his arms. We went up the staircase, kissing feverishly all the way, our chests pressed together.

_I know, I'm so cruel for leaving it hanging like that,_

_But there **will** be more_...


End file.
